Science Fair Ideas for Grade Seven
Since the third grade, students have been exploring their world through science fairs and science projects. By the seventh grade they have experimented and have grown comfortable with the process of making a scientific study and a presentation. There are many ideas for a seventh-grade student to use, no matter where his interests lie.
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Critter Temperature Preferences
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Create a thermal gradient device with a centimeter-thick piece of metal. Place one end on a heat source (such as a hot plate) and the other end in ice. The metal will eventually attain a steady heat gradient from cold to hot. This can be determined by placing a thermometer on sections across the piece of metal and then recording the results.
Make a graph of the temperatures along the various parts of the metal piece for your display. Create a tunnel using a long piece of clear plastic and set some critters, such as roaches, crickets or mice, into the tunnel and record your findings over time. Do the critters stay scattered? Do they move toward a specific temperature? When you remove the metal piece from the sources of heat and cold, do the critters disperse?
Pill Bug Environmental Preferences
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Pill bugs (armadillidium vulgare) are plentiful and make great guinea pigs for science experiments. You can consider different environments such as light versus dark and moist versus dry. You also can experiment with food preferences. Do these bugs prefer to go uphill or downhill? Do they prefer certain colors? With scissors, tape and some plastic you can create a cage with narrow passages and chambers in which you can place items. You can make a light chamber and a dark chamber. You can create a moist environment in one and keep the other dry. You can create a multichambered cage and make each a different color. There are many ways to make this project entertaining and interesting.
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The Effect of Temperature on Liquid
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This project requires regular tap water, some rubbing alcohol, a narrow-necked and clear plastic bottle, some food coloring, a clear plastic straw and some modeling clay. Make an equal-parts mixture of water and alcohol and pour it into the bottle. It should be about one-quarter full. Mix in the food coloring. Place the straw in the bottle without allowing it to touch the bottom and then use the clay to seal the top while holding the straw in place (leave the straw top uncovered).
When you use a source of heat, such as placing your hands around the bottle, you will see the level rise as the colored liquid travels up the straw. The molecules in the liquid expand with heat and the liquid becomes too large for its place in the bottle (the space that looks empty is actually filled with air which cannot be displaced due to the sealed state of the bottle.) The colored liquid then travels up the straw seeking the only way out.
The Effect of Color on the Inside Temperature of your Home
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For this project you will need three shoe boxes, four thermometers, a heat lamp, a tray, some ice and rock salt and a white plastic bag. Paint one box white, one gray and one black. Place a thermometer inside each box and a control thermometer outside the boxes. Make a chart to include the boxed thermometers and the unboxed control thermometer. Add fields for the starting temperature, room temperature, heated temperature and cooled temperature. Record the starting temperature.
Place lids on the boxes and leave everything at room temperature for a half an hour. Take the lids off and quickly record the room temperature for each color and the control before the temperatures change. Put the lids back on and do the same procedure for the heat lamp and the ice. When you have gathered all the results, create a graph and make your presentation.
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References
- Photo Credit science image by guy from Fotolia.com
